The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-10-14
PATIENTLY TolLlNe.
Curious Household Scenes Seen From
window oF n CITY Flat

Curious Household Scenes Seen From the
Window of a City Flat.
Out of the window of my fiat it is
impossible that I shall look without
becoming in some degree a witness of
the domestic affairs of my near neign-
Dor, of whose premises [ have a back
door view. What | am going to write
about is no betrayal of my neighbours
private affairs that will ever come
home to him. lido not know my neigh
Dor, but l owe him no grudge, and
would much sooner do him a favor
than an injury.
The first of his domestic affairs that
attracted my special notice were his
two mischievous, curly-headed chill
dren-a little he and she, who, to
the best of their toddling ability,
amused themselves and filled the small
area where they took their sunshine
with their infantile noise and joyous
ness. am indebted to my neighbor
for many m0mcntary intervals of such
solace and satisfaction as Gray Hair ut
the easement can snatch from Golden
Hair on the greensward. Children are
the connecting link between the heaven
behind us and the heaven we hope for.
Interest in the children naturally
grew into interest for their care-taker
"a bright-eyed, busy, quick-footed
little mother. She might have stood to
sculptor for a statue of Celebrity. Bless
me! How she did, and how she does
go in and out and about! She never
rests.
tt 50 ,,1oiD 70 10 COO, 4t,o+ +Lo Ii4+1o
mother has no ''hired help" She is
her own sole baby-minder. She is the
chore-doer. She locks the babes in the
area while she goes to market, and
comes back Over-weighted, poor thing!
She carries out the ashes and the gar
bage to be taken by the delaying dust
man. She is the purveyor Of her own
establishment as well as the house
/ keeper.
My neighbors are early breakfasters.
Thus it happens that do not look out
upon their morning affairs. But l
know the little mother must rise early
and work swiftly, because the traces Of
morning meals in her house are gone
before my breakfast hour, and because
every week, early in the day, l see her
''wash," a multitudinOus array OF
shirts and sheets and household wear,
hung out to dry, filing the little area
with tapping linen and calico. She
does her own washing, too, and the
quantity of it gave me new hint All
the shirts are not her husbands 5. He
wouldn't have so many, even if he were
a clerk in a hotel There are three
/ -, E, oh
cooks and washes, and doubtless sews
on buttons. The heavy market-basket
is accounted for.
have seen the husband. 1t was a
fine sun-shiny day, and the wooden
blankets and winter garments were all
hung out and beaten. The moths
are pest. He came out of his house,
a fine, strapping fellow, with a cigar
between his teeth and good color in his
cheeks. MARY" he said, after in
speeding his winter overcoat, Il think
you had better get these things in out
of the dust; they cost money"
didn't like his tone. It wasn't unkind
but it was unappreciative. He might
have carried the clothes easily with Iii:
hulking strength. For her they were
a great load. But good, obedient
faithful wife that she is, she imme
diately gathered them up and trotteC
away with them, looking like an Alta,
in petticOats staggering under a weigh
a world too heavy for her. The hus
band doesn't rOmp enough with his
little curly-heads to suit me, though
must acknowledge it is none of M
IN oo1. foo
the other day when the little mOthe
scolded them. She is learning t,
scold. fancy, too, that [ see her lip
are drawn little, and her CHEEKY eye
begin to have that tired look which
comes to all of us out of overwork anC
perhaps soul-weariness. Late in tn,
night 1 see bright fire in her kitchen
and she swiftly passes between the fire
light within and the darkness without
Meanwhile the husband lounges anC
, smokes. By midnight the ironing i
done. On other evenings she is les
busy Then she sews and mends ant
r darns and (Heaven save the mark!
: rests herself. She gets no time to rea
at least l never catch her having tn
time or taking it. So much for her
, Her life is, indeed, Zone long, DENIM
ton grind!' There may be little com
forts within the walls of the hous
r where my eyes can not penetrate
Probably the curly-heads bring CLEAN
of pleasure to the mother-heart. But
/ am overcome with sadness every time
, see her. This mOnologue, perhaps
/ would never have been written but TO
/ a new turn in my neighbours affair
that made of them a sort of publ
property. He was arrested on a charg
: of violence. He is not working now
e He is striking for an eight-hour day
Still, in his idleness the never-endin
' work of the household goes steadily OF
. but he does not help. He does no
even take charge of the curly-head
h And this leads me to think there ar
: thousands upon thousands of httl
mothers in the land who are wearin
G their lives out like the little mother
9 see this moment from my window
? They work nine. ten, twelve, sixtee
hours a day. They work till the wear
task is done. But they don't strik,
viii better day ever come for thes
patient drudges?- Philadelphia Recort